different strokes for different folks

[likewise]

How time flies and changes perception is something I have been giving quite some thought. My wife, dog and I are leaving after 22 years while a friend of mine just arrived here to "live the dream". He is 53 and doing the whole pattaya thing, visa by agent even though he has the funds, DL by agent, he paid 20K for his DL and 40K for his retirement visa???? . I just can't help wondering what the big attraction still is here? I lived in The South, Krabi for most of the time, Songkhla while working, lived in Pattaya 96-99 was good then but already back then it was quickly losing its charm, visited again in 2007 vowed to never go back, what a shithole the place had become. Too many clowns, as my friend lol, thinking they are still 28, btw that is the age to do pattaya, not 58 ;). The South is way better living IMO, more expensive yes, less trashy, yes.

Regarding life in Thailand, no regrets, made good money so never really had hard times, yet I cringe when I see guys talking about getting by on 45K, that is not living the dream guys. 45K was livable 10 years ago. Today wife and I spend 45K to 50K easily and we own our car and house. Visa wise, as we all know, immigration will only make it harder. In return you get below standard services, more discrimination towards foreigners, more "I boss immigration, u farang" nonsense, more idiot drivers on the road............

I have had very good years here and great experiences and some not so great, there is a post I posted from 2011/2012 where I personally translated for a farang/thai crime from beginning to end. A guy got kidnapped, held hostage., eventually perpetrators got caught.....goes to court. One day we all (victim, his lawyer and myself)got arrested for hiring a hitman, this was nonsense and corruption of course and was soon shown to be just that. Just to show I have seen the in/outs of thai society, lived it, was married into a cop's family, speak, read and write the lingo fluently, the place has little secrets left for me. My advice, have a good time and get out, don't integrate, don't learn the language, it serves no use and eventually even turns against you. All my years here never had to use an agent of sorts, find it quite funny, as my friend, 53 years old yet they have to hold his hand to get a visa and DL. And he is not the only one seems, he told me they were packed in a minivan hauled to Chachoengsao province and got their DL at the transport departement there for 20K???? , guess Chonburi is off the take or what lol? Myself and many other expats always did that ourselves, it's part of "living the dream" ;). Well it's been a good run and can't wait for my dog's blood results pass the 90 day waiting period, wife's visa and we're outta this bitch. It's been fun, wild, sad, hysterical, you name it, all emotions have flowed throughout the years here but it's time to move on. Homeland first to get long stay visa for Schengen, then Spain or Portugal is where we will be. It feels great to have choices and to be able to turn my back on Thailand, something if you would have asked me 5 years ago I would not have done. 

 

 

[Puchaiyank]

Thank you for your posting...good advice...but you already know how the petite Thai women can get into a man's head...then his bank account.  Lived here off and on for years...it does seem to be a less desirable place to live each time I come back...

 

I keep asking myself...where else can I get som tom made to order daily?... ????

[jbob]

next you will be telling us all how juvenile songkran is and how back in my day it wasn't called classic music and the 90s were only 10 years ago...

Pattaya is run almost entirely on 50yo, beer loving, overweight, single (enough) men and it has been that way the entire time I have known it. Take a walk along Soi Buakhao during the day and guess which bar we call "old man bar" (Hint: it's all of them).

You think the south is good I'll do you one better, go on a really long cruise or "God's waiting room" as it's also known

Edited April 2, 2019 by jbob

[Nip]

11 hours ago, jbob said:

next you will be telling us all how juvenile songkran is and how back in my day it wasn't called classic music and the 90s were only 10 years ago...

Pattaya is run almost entirely on 50yo, beer loving, overweight, single (enough) men and it has been that way the entire time I have known it. Take a walk along Soi Buakhao during the day and guess which bar we call "old man bar" (Hint: it's all of them).

You think the south is good I'll do you one better, go on a really long cruise or "God's waiting room" as it's also known

You've cheered me up. Well at least I think you have? Was this tongue in cheek or tongue in other cheek?

[dotpoom]

Too long for me to read all the OP but I get the "jist"....somehow it comes across like some I read before it....like the author is really trying to convince themselves (not others) that they are doing the best thing.

   Again I am reminded of those wise words..."We see things the way We are....not the way They are".

   I have been living here 19 years. Started with the 800,000 Bt. in the bank way and am still doing it that way. I gave up the booze one year before moving here and have had a life beyond my wildest dreams for the past 19 years in Thailand?

  Nothing noticeable has changed for me over my time here?

Edited April 3, 2019 by dotpoom

[thesa]

Terrific post. Thank you.

[4MyEgo]

20 hours ago, likewise said:

It feels great to have choices and to be able to turn my back on Thailand

You obviously didn't feel that way when you were in a hurry to marry Thailand 22 years ago.

 

What makes you think that the next place is going to be any better ?

 

I left Sydney 3.6 years ago, yes a newbie, but I fell in love with Thailand when I first came here in 2006 and many trips ensured there after, and I planned my retirement at 55 a decade later.

 

I have no delusions of what Thailand had to offer, with all her warts, for me, she serves me well with regard to surviving my remaining years here, and not having to work my rear end off 12-16 hours a day back in Australia to survive and try to get ahead was a key factor for me to live here, i.e. eating the fruits that I once planted a long time ago.

 

If you have money, Thailand is good, 45k a month, yes agree, that would be hard. I budget on 60k, but by the time you take everything else into consideration with insurances, travels back to Sydney once a year, it's more so 100k, which is still much more affordable than Sydney for me, owning our own place and car here.

 

I hope you find what you are looking for, but from where I am sitting, it's all in ones head, that is how quickly one can let go and focus on the positives in life, the negatives will always be here, every country has warts, some more than others, don't get me wrong, I could move back to Sydney as it's cleaner, safer, less corrupt, but my lifestyle would be compromised, and of course I would have to put up with her warts and all, so for now, my plan is to keep on keeping on and enjoying my new lifestyle here, i.e. until I have had enough or I drop, whichever comes first.

 

All the best and thanks for sharing ????

 

[JusticeGB]

Sadly after 17 years because I can no longer get an Income Letter from the British Embassy and all my pensions are paid to my UK account and I get £200 a month of fees from the UK I don't qualify under the new rules. Also I use Transferwise which doesn't actually remit money from the UK to Thailand. Without my fees and the falling pound I am under 65,000 net. It used to be over 85,000 net, With inflation life will only get tougher. This month I will be leaving for Laos. 

[a3tsw]

1 hour ago, dotpoom said:

 

   Again I am reminded of those wise words..."We see things the way We are....not the way They are".

What a great quote. Thank you for that!!????

[crazykopite]

Have your own car and house yet still spend a ton of money do you eat fillet steak every night and drink expensive bottles of wine anyways good luck to you and your new venture yes living down south is much more expensive but I never spend my 65,000 baht per month and we eat out a couple of times a week although we don’t participate in any form of smoking and drink very little alcohol that was one of the reasons for moving over here to enjoy retirement but yes over the last 13 years I have started to fall out of love with the place and like yourself we are planning to move to greener fields within the next two years maybe sooner if IMO gets any worse towards retireries.

[crazykopite]

15 minutes ago, JusticeGB said:

Sadly after 17 years because I can no longer get an Income Letter from the British Embassy and all my pensions are paid to my UK account and I get £200 a month of fees from the UK I don't qualify under the new rules. Also I use Transferwise which doesn't actually remit money from the UK to Thailand. Without my fees and the falling pound I am under 65,000 net. It used to be over 85,000 net, With inflation life will only get tougher. This month I will be leaving for Laos. 

Why not get yourself a yearly multi entry and take a trip every 90 days if you time it right you can turn it into a 15 month visa. Just a thought. ????

[GalaxyMan]

I finally moved to Thailand after living 7 years in Holland, followed by 4 years in Portugal. I've been coming to Thailand since 1983, so I've seen some changes. Holland is beautiful, but it's a façade of BS. The Dutch like to portray themselves as so liberal, etc., but scratch the surface and you get nothing but ice & steel. After 7 years living there, married to a Dutch woman and speaking good Dutch, I made exactly one friend. Even aassholes make friends just about anywhere, but not Holland. It's about as closed a society as I've ever encountered. They invited the Turks in the 1950s to come and work for 5 years, then go back home. Well, they never left and 3rd generation Turks still speak atrocious, heavily accented Dutch. They have not and will not integrate, mostly because the Dutch won't let them.

 

Portugal was a breath of fresh air after Holland, especially food & weather-wise. I never considered Spain, as I have no desire to live in a Muslim country. You think it's not, just go visit any of the coastal areas, especially the most-desired southern area. Portugal quickly became untenable. The Portuguese people wake up each day and ask themselves how they can say NO to anything that comes their way. The most negative, sour people I've ever met. Yes, I met some who don't fit that description, truly wonderful people, but for the most part, that's how it is.

 

I'll take Thailand and its stupidities any day over any country I've visited or lived in. My life has been nothing but travel and living in foreign countries since the early 70s, so I have a bit of experience to reference. I learn the languages and always integrate, become part of the society in which I am living to whatever degree possible. My idea of nationalism is to be a citizen of planet earth.

 

That being said, change is the one constant in this universe and I thrive on it. Very cool that the OP is making a change. Hope it goes well, but there is no such thing as a country that doesn't totally suck when you really look at it, live in it.

Edited April 3, 2019 by GalaxyMan

[GalaxyMan]

53 minutes ago, a3tsw said:

What a great quote. Thank you for that!!????

No kidding! Never let reality get in the way of what you want to believe! ????

[3421abc]

Excellent post. I think a large majority of the expats would like to leave but Thailand is still the best when you factor in the costs and what it has to offer.

I left Thailand last year for Spain, I only lasted 3 months there and came right back. I also have been to Portugal and I speak Portuguese and Spanish fluently.

Spain and Portugal are cheaper for food nowadays but rents are higher.

 

We all live different lifestyles and we are all looking for different experiences.

 

One thing I agree is being treated like transnational criminal is starting to take a toll in the appeal to live here for sure.

[Tomahawk21]

Homeland first to get long stay visa for Schengen, then Spain or Portugal is where we will be. It feels great to have choices and to be able to turn my back on Thailand, something if you would have asked me 5 years ago I would not have done. 

 

good post, sounds great, i see myself going that way one day maybe in another 10 years time.

[shackleton]

there is a saying the grass is always greener on the other side 

we all have choices I made mine to retire here 

everything so far working out okay don't drink to much enjoy the Thai  food people 

and culture

Immigration so far no major problems  can be a bit of a headache in some cases like the 90 day reporting 

comes round before you it

as mentioned already  you always have a choice 

[totally thaied up]

I spent the last four years not moving from Thailand. I had to go home to see my elderly parents and it made me understand the bubble I was living in. Our exchange rate is not good now and living off the basics in Australia is just as cheap as Thailand. I really do not know what to do about the future. I myself am not wealthy, but my family is and they offer me always the choice to come back home.

 

Thailand ten years ago had the advantage of me getting 30 baht to the dollar but with the fact I need to pay for health insurance in Thailand and the threat of not knowing they will pay out if I get sick is a big worry. My health care is my biggest worry.

 

Many of my friends in Thailand stay only because of the women. I am not looking for this. I do not play around on my wife and my thinking has changed. Maybe this will all change in the future after one of my parents die and I am needed back home. It is hard to say but Thailand is not the real be all and end all. I just want a Country I can call home permanently with my wife and not worry about this seeming new trend of xenophobic Nationalism that is being breed.

 

I am just wanting some place to call home and is that too hard to ask?

[PerkinsCuthbert]

2 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Too long for me to read all the OP but I get the "jist"....somehow it comes across like some I read before it....like the author is really trying to convince themselves (not others) that they are doing the best thing.

   Again I am reminded of those wise words..."We see things the way We are....not the way They are".

   I have been living here 19 years. Started with the 800,000 Bt. in the bank way and am still doing it that way. I gave up the booze one year before moving here and have had a life beyond my wildest dreams for the past 19 years in Thailand?

  Nothing noticeable has changed for me over my time here?

Agreed, OP sounds a bit of a wuz, fifty-something and hasn't yet learnt that it isn't the amount of money but how you make it work for you and not against you.

[bronzedude]

37 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

I finally moved to Thailand after living 7 years in Holland, followed by 4 years in Portugal. I've been coming to Thailand since 1983, so I've seen some changes. Holland is beautiful, but it's a façade of BS. The Dutch like to portray themselves as so liberal, etc., but scratch the surface and you get nothing but ice & steel. After 7 years living there, married to a Dutch woman and speaking good Dutch, I made exactly one friend. Even aassholes make friends just about anywhere, but not Holland. It's about as closed a society as I've ever encountered. They invited the Turks in the 1950s to come and work for 5 years, then go back home. Well, they never left and 3rd generation Turks still speak atrocious, heavily accented Dutch. They have not and will not integrate, mostly because the Dutch won't let them.

 

Portugal was a breath of fresh air after Holland, especially food & weather-wise. I never considered Spain, as I have no desire to live in a Muslim country. You think it's not, just go visit any of the coastal areas, especially the most-desired southern area. Portugal quickly became untenable. The Portuguese people wake up each day and ask themselves how they can say NO to anything that comes their way. The most negative, sour people I've ever met. Yes, I met some who don't fit that description, truly wonderful people, but for the most part, that's how it is.

 

I'll take Thailand and its stupidities any day over any country I've visited or lived in. My life has been nothing but travel and living in foreign countries since the early 70s, so I have a bit of experience to reference. I learn the languages and always integrate, become part of the society in which I am living to whatever degree possible. My idea of nationalism is to be a citizen of planet earth.

 

That being said, change is the one constant in this universe and I thrive on it. Very cool that the OP is making a change. Hope it goes well, but there is no such thing as a country that doesn't totally suck when you really look at it, live in it.

If you're not riding the wave of change...you'll soon find yourself under it. I don't think you can find anything where civilized and semi-civilized people have lived since WWII that hasn't had the same aspects of negative change: pollution, crime, traffic, corruption, devalued money. Although for many, Thailand seems to be a bit ahead of the curve. I do agree that it seems that Thailand doesn't really value farangs as much as they did when their economy was in the dumps.

[likewise]

Some good comments here, don't mind the unintelligent blabber from PerkinsCuthbert lol.

If It is not only the amount of money, but then tell me, the most miserable farang I met in Thailand have always been the ones budgeting?

I'm 48 and left my home country at 24 to work in Asia. IT is called freedom, to pack your family and move to other countries. Not all are addicted to cheap and low-quality lifestyles just so they can get laid. As I said earlier I had awesome times here, especially being 24 to 27 living in Pattaya, that is the age to do pattaya. Thailand has been good to me but the freedom is to pack and try other places, 22 years is a big part of one's lifetime, the world is a big place. I have spend exactly 3 weeks in my home country in the last 22 years so even going back there feels good for now. Get my wife's long stay visa sorted and the world is ours. 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2019 by likewise

[likewise]

5 minutes ago, Benroon said:

Moan  moan moan - after getting up when I felt like it today and a couple of hours by the pool eating breakfast in the cool breeze - me and the Mrs will be heading off to the beach for lunch (a beach we will virtually have to ourselves)

 

Spend the afternoon, listening to some tunes, bit of swimming, few cold beers and debate where of the hundreds of restaurants around us we should eat tonight!

 

Tomorrow we will go and watch the nets get brought in and pluck a kilo of near foot long prawns from the catch and take home to cook ourselves. No river or farmed crap!

 

Rinse and repeat

 

Not forgetting of course to log on to TVF forum just to remind myself how great my life is ! No need for millionaire status just a positive outlook and embracing what's good. Lifes minor irritations are just that, minor and happen in EVERY country - personally far more in the UK than here. Immigration is minor, cancer is major, keep things in perspective.

 

Life is sweet if you want it to be so.

and gets very boring, been living that life for years........boring it becomes unless one becomes brain dead.

[totally thaied up]

3 minutes ago, likewise said:

and gets very boring, been living that life for years........boring it becomes unless one becomes brain dead.

That was the bubble I was living in. Same Same, rinse and repeat and after a while even anything good can become boring. I gather we can do this anywhere in the world and now maybe, just having options to now move around with cheap flights is a good thing.

[nickmondo]

16 minutes ago, Benroon said:

Moan  moan moan - after getting up when I felt like it today and a couple of hours by the pool eating breakfast in the cool breeze - me and the Mrs will be heading off to the beach for lunch (a beach we will virtually have to ourselves)

 

Spend the afternoon, listening to some tunes, bit of swimming, few cold beers and debate where of the hundreds of restaurants around us we should eat tonight!

 

Tomorrow we will go and watch the nets get brought in and pluck a kilo of near foot long prawns from the catch and take home to cook ourselves. No river or farmed crap!

 

Rinse and repeat

 

Not forgetting of course to log on to TVF forum just to remind myself how great my life is ! No need for millionaire status just a positive outlook and embracing what's good. Lifes minor irritations are just that, minor and happen in EVERY country - personally far more in the UK than here. Immigration is minor, cancer is major, keep things in perspective.

 

Life is sweet if you want it to be so.

sounds marvellous.  Where are you living?

 

[Jingjock]

18 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Too long for me to read all the OP but I get the "jist"....somehow it comes across like some I read before it....like the author is really trying to convince themselves (not others) that they are doing the best thing.

   Again I am reminded of those wise words..."We see things the way We are....not the way They are".

   I have been living here 19 years. Started with the 800,000 Bt. in the bank way and am still doing it that way. I gave up the booze one year before moving here and have had a life beyond my wildest dreams for the past 19 years in Thailand?

  Nothing noticeable has changed for me over my time here?

Yes the author is only trying to convince himself, not us, he is limited to few countries he can go. I just had 2.5 months home in New Zealand & Australia, some place the author can not qualify to live, beautiful country. One day I may return to finish the rest of my years. Been here 10 years now Happy Happy

 

[Mansell]

1 hour ago, GalaxyMan said:

I finally moved to Thailand after living 7 years in Holland, followed by 4 years in Portugal. I've been coming to Thailand since 1983, so I've seen some changes. Holland is beautiful, but it's a façade of BS. The Dutch like to portray themselves as so liberal, etc., but scratch the surface and you get nothing but ice & steel. After 7 years living there, married to a Dutch woman and speaking good Dutch, I made exactly one friend. Even aassholes make friends just about anywhere, but not Holland. It's about as closed a society as I've ever encountered. They invited the Turks in the 1950s to come and work for 5 years, then go back home. Well, they never left and 3rd generation Turks still speak atrocious, heavily accented Dutch. They have not and will not integrate, mostly because the Dutch won't let them.

 

Portugal was a breath of fresh air after Holland, especially food & weather-wise. I never considered Spain, as I have no desire to live in a Muslim country. You think it's not, just go visit any of the coastal areas, especially the most-desired southern area. Portugal quickly became untenable. The Portuguese people wake up each day and ask themselves how they can say NO to anything that comes their way. The most negative, sour people I've ever met. Yes, I met some who don't fit that description, truly wonderful people, but for the most part, that's how it is.

 

I'll take Thailand and its stupidities any day over any country I've visited or lived in. My life has been nothing but travel and living in foreign countries since the early 70s, so I have a bit of experience to reference. I learn the languages and always integrate, become part of the society in which I am living to whatever degree possible. My idea of nationalism is to be a citizen of planet earth.

 

That being said, change is the one constant in this universe and I thrive on it. Very cool that the OP is making a change. Hope it goes well, but there is no such thing as a country that doesn't totally suck when you really look at it, live in it.

Enjoyed your write up. Seemed pretty balanced to me. Like you I have been to over ninety countries and they all have pluses and minuses. Ultimately it comes down to our own perspectives and our biases. Right now I am fine here,but I always remember the only constant is change. Enjoy.

[rumak]

23 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Thank you for your posting...good advice...but you already know how the petite Thai women can get into a man's head...then his bank account.  Lived here off and on for years...it does seem to be a less desirable place to live each time I come back...

 

I keep asking myself...where else can I get som tom made to order daily?... ????

is "som tom"  really some secret term for what we all know you are coming back for ?

[totally thaied up]

3 minutes ago, Benroon said:

Plus the opportunity to watch your home country implode under Brexit for your daily dose of smugness !! 

I am a Aussie. Plenty of Sunshine, clean, non Non N95 smog filled air and I don’t have to be smug as I can at anytime go home to the lucky country. Some people don’t have that choice and as I found out, if you live somewhere long enough, you believe it after a while and that for certain is a bubble you live in. 

[Leatherneck]

Great post! Only been in-country for 8 years but I sense a lot of similarities. Think there will be a mass exodus of Biblical proportions soon if the current environment continues (and likely worsens). I know it's definitely on my mind more and more. Spain and Portugal...excellent choices IMHO! Bon voyage...and best wishes in your post-Thailand adventures!

[baansgr]

Good read, but yet another one leaving. This week two long termers I know are going, that makes seven this year already. All are reasonably financially secure but all say the same, feel unwanted, too much hassle, re entries, TMs 90 days, etc....also have stated dont feel safe as before, worry about driving anywhere because of machete weilding thugs. Like op two are off back to Europe, others SE Asia.

[baansgr]

1 hour ago, Benroon said:

Moan  moan moan - after getting up when I felt like it today and a couple of hours by the pool eating breakfast in the cool breeze - me and the Mrs will be heading off to the beach for lunch (a beach we will virtually have to ourselves)

 

Spend the afternoon, listening to some tunes, bit of swimming, few cold beers and debate where of the hundreds of restaurants around us we should eat tonight!

 

Tomorrow we will go and watch the nets get brought in and pluck a kilo of near foot long prawns from the catch and take home to cook ourselves. No river or farmed crap!

 

Rinse and repeat

 

Not forgetting of course to log on to TVF forum just to remind myself how great my life is ! No need for millionaire status just a positive outlook and embracing what's good. Lifes minor irritations are just that, minor and happen in EVERY country - personally far more in the UK than here. Immigration is minor, cancer is major, keep things in perspective.

 

Life is sweet if you want it to be so.

Flip side is, you could be attacked for sitting on the beach near a vendor, on the way home are attacked again for no reason other than you turned right, decide to stay at a hotel and next 90 day get fined for not re reporting yourself.....can be good but can be bad also. Enjoy your seafood and tinted glasses.